Trap Line Book

My first encounter with Hiaasen was Razor Girl, which I found to be thoroughly entertaining and very well written. So, when I came across this earlier work, I had a preconceived notion that though it might not be as humorous, it ought to be well crafted.

I was right. Trap Line is a fine book, albeit one lacking in the zany humor for which the author seems well known (in his later works). Nevertheless, the characters are well drawn and interesting, the plot is acceptably constructed (though not particularly complex), and the sense of place is, well, one of the book's best features. The reader can practically hear the whine of mosquitoes and feel the humidity of Florida's southernmost Keys. The smell of the ocean and salt in the damp air fill the pages as we follow along with "Breeze" Albury, Captain of a fishing boat who finds himself up to his gunwales in trouble that he did not invite.

Hiaasen has written a clever tale of the underdog who manages to turn the tables on very bad odds and for whom one can't help but root. This is a solid novel, and one that any fan of the author would likely want to read.